Become a GMail Ninja

Become a Ninja
Master Your Inbox

© Stefanie Hahn | www.StefanieHahn.net | January 2012

Become a Ninja
In this webinar, we will cover some of the steps
to becoming the master of your inbox. I named
the webinar in the same style as Google has
their GMail tips fashioned at
www.gmail.com/tips - where you can learn
white, green, black belt and master skills. Our
webinar will follow the same format …

Prepare to be BLOWN AWAY by all of the things
you can do with GMail!


Let’s get warmed up!

WHITE BELT


White Belt
Begin here: mail.google.com

- Set-up and signatures
- Themes
- Spam
- Organization
- Archive
- Search


White Belt – Find the Gear
Look for the Google Gear (usually top right)
and click the drop-down arrow to see
settings options.

Display Density – how much stuff do you
want crammed in?

Forget about reverting to the old look.

Click on Settings


White Belt – General Settings

The General tab will give
you the basics.

Use:
Default text style – to
choose your message
font.
Conversation View – to
select this important
viewing option (try it!)



Preview Panes, Stars, Desktop Notifications and Date Formats … oh my!



Upload a photo, Show the People
Widget, Add your signature!!!



If you need the vacation responder … select Advanced
attachment features. SAVE CHANGES!!!

White Belt – Fun w/Themes

Click on Themes to change your GMail background style.


White Belt – Spam Mgmt
Click on Labs and enable SmartLabels to kick your spam
filter up a notch. Now GMail will catch the obvious spam
AND put all of your Talbots sale notifications in bulk.
SmartLabels use filters to keep your inbox manageable.
Just remember to check the Bulk folder!


White Belt – Get Organized
There are several ways to organize your GMail …

 Labels (color-coded of course)
 Filters – automatic labeling
 Stars
 Priority Inbox
 Bulk Folder
 Archive – off your plate, but still in the room


White Belt – Archive
I liken the GMail Archive to email purgatory. Archiving
does not delete the email, but it does remove the
email from your inbox.

Basically, the email is out of your way, but not really
gone. Click All Mail or Search to locate these emails.


White Belt – Search
Need to find an email FAST? Use the search. It rocks!


White Belt – Search
Need more? Hover to
the right of the search
box and click on the drop-
down to see this menu.

If you can’t find the email
with this tool. It doesn’t
exist.


Ready for action!

GREEN BELT


Green Belt
- Create filters
- Explore labs
- Store contacts
- Make a list
- Instant Messaging
- Video Chat


Green Belt - Create Filters
Creating email filters is a
great way to manage your
inbox. Click on the gear >
Settings > Filters and
Create a new filter!

Notice the smart filters
that are automatically set
up with my SmartLabels.


You can filter by:
 From (any emails from this person
or alias)
 To (great for people with multiple
accounts – s.hahn gets a CBH label,
yahoo another
 Subject
 Has the words (YPN, addresses)
 Doesn’t have (yep)

Click Search (to see what you get)
Click Create filter with this search >>


Once you decide WHAT to filter,
you have to tell GMail what to do
with it – that happens here.

Select the options you want – I use
“Apply the label” often. You can
create the label on the fly too
(here) in case you didn’t think of
that in advance.

Click Create filter AND decide if
you want to apply the filter to any
other messages that fit the criteria
(old messages).


Green Belt – Explore Labs
I heart GMail labs. Tons of fun and helpful
tweaks to help you achieve Inbox Zen. Go to the
gear > click Settings > Labs*


Green Belt – Explore Labs
GMail Labs I Use:
 Authentication Icon  Refresh POP Accounts
 Canned Responses  Send and Archive
 Text Styling  Signature Tweaks
 Filter Import/Export  Smart Labels
 Previews (Maps, Docs,  Undo Send
Voice, Flickr, Yelp)  Unread Message Icon
 Insert Images
 Mark As Read Just to name a few … explore
 Nested Labels labs!!!
 Preview Pane


Green Belt – Store Contacts

Click the
drop-down
arrow at
Mail.

Click on
Contacts >>>

View groups
or individual
contact
records.

Green Belt – Create Groups
Take the time to set up groups.
Trust me on this one. Clicking on
Contacts will show you all of your
Google contacts, all of your
Google+ Circles, Most
Contacted, Other – (read – not
grouped) and then, just below that
you can add a New Group.


Green Belt – Task Lists

I love a list … do you LOVE a list?!!!
You will! Add tasks to your list and
click the box to cross them out
when completed! Bonus – put a
date on the task and it will appear
on your calendar.


Green Belt – Task Menu
Let’s look at the Task Menu

<<< Actions (left) let you move your
tasks within a list, indent, edit
details, print, view by due date, sort
and clear. Also access help and tips!

Click the + to add a task

Click the to delete


Green Belt – Task Menu
The last option on the Task Menu
(right) will show you all of your
lists.

Additionally, you will be able to:

Refresh
Rename
Delete (the whole list)
Create a new list


Green Belt – Task Lists


Green Belt – IM
If you like to get
information FAST … try
Instant Messaging
through your GMail.
G Chat is an instant
messaging client that is
built right into your
GMail!


Green Belt – IM
Just click on the person’s
name and this box will open
(make sure they are online)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It’s really THAT simple!


Green Belt – IM
You have a few options here:
Click the Actions drop-down
- Go off the record (private)
- Block people

Add people to the chat
Make a VOIP call
Make a video call


Green Belt – Video Chat
Click the camera icon on the
Chat Menu to start a video call.

Click Yes to Video Call ________
Or click Accept to answer a call.

Click End when you are finished!


Now we are getting serious …

BLACK BELT


Black Belt
- Canned responses
- Previews
- Offline options
- Multiple Accounts


Black Belt – Canned Responses
Feel like you have to write the same email over and over
and over again? Add the email as a “canned response”
and just click to apply it next time!


Black Belt – Canned Responses

Type in your email
Click Canned Reponses
Click New Canned
Response

The subject of your email
will default as the title …

Change the name or
Click OK to save.

Black Belt – Previews
In GMail Labs, you can add preview for:
 flickr
 Google Docs
 Google Maps
 Picasa
 Yelp


Black Belt – Previews


Black Belt – Offline

“Gmail Offline beta is a Gmail app built to support offline access,
allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived
without network access. After first start-up, Gmail Offline will
automatically synchronize messages and queued actions anytime
Chrome is running and an Internet connection is available.”

Don’t let the beta scare you off, Google loves to keep tools in beta
for ages.



Once you’ve installed, click to Allow Offline Mail
Click to Continue

The application should open immediately.


Black Belt – Multiple Accts
No one has ONE email address. Many of us juggle 3, 4
or more email accounts each day. GMail is your new
online version of Outlook.

o Pull 5 accounts into GMail
o Response from those accounts
o Use 5 different signatures
o Filter each one with account label

Presto! Inbox Zen! Almost …



Click on the gear
Click on Settings
Click on Accounts & Import
Here you can …
- Import Mail & Contacts
- Send Mail As Set-Up
- Check Mail Set-Up


Be prepared with your email address and account
password.

Note: We typically forward email from RackSpace
because it ends up running a tad faster. No need to set
up your GMail to pull these emails in IF you are already
forwarding. You should set up GMail so you can send
as your work email.

Yahoo Users: Yahoo now charges you to import and
forward your email. You must be a Yahoo Mail+
Subscriber at $19.99/year.

Click on Add another
email address you own
and the first box pops up.
Enter your name and
email and keep the box
checked off. Click Next
Step.

Leave “Send Through
GMail”
Click Next Step
Click Send
Verification to
authorize this
connection.


You have to pick a default account,
but you can respond OUT from ANY
of the email addresses you set-up.

Use the drop-down menu to the right
of the From box and select which
email to use.


Pouring on the awesome sauce!!!

GMAIL MASTER


GMail Master
- Google Calendar
- Google Docs
- Secure email
- Remote sign-out


MASTER– Calendar
Click to change calendar view!

Click on a calendar name to turn visibility on/off.
Even add calendars you don’t personally
administer (public calendars or friends calendars)

Google Calendar R-O-C-K-S. Truly. Load your own calendar up with
events and tasks, add a another calendar for your significant
other, kids, office, groups, whatever! Layer the calendars for the
whole picture or just view certain ones.

MASTER– Calendar

The GENERAL tab has basic layout and feel settings.
The CALENDARS tab will allow you to add calendars (to your
account) and hook up with public and friend calendars.
Use the MOBILE tab to set-up text alert # and mobile settings.
Check out the LABS tab for fun and helpful calendar extras.


MASTER– Calendar

Click on CALENDARS to manage your calendars, click Create New
Calendar to create another calendar on your account. Share your
calendars with others using the SHARING options on each of your
calendars.

MASTER– Calendar
Sharing calendars is easy peasy! Click Sharing on a specific calendar (I
used CBH) and then add the person you want to share with by email
address. Decide on Permission Settings and click Add Person (you can
always remove someone). Click Save!


MASTER– Docs
You can stop paying
for Microsoft Office
now. Yes I said it.
Use Google Docs for
free!!!

Create Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Forms,
Drawings and more!

Upload existing MS
Office documents
too!


MASTER– Docs
Create Menu
<<<<<<<<<<<

Upload Menu
>>>>>>>>>>>>

Let’s create a
new document


MASTER– Docs
Click on Create, click on Document
Click on Share to collaborate LIVE! Just add the
person by email address and click Done.


MASTER– Docs


MASTER– Docs

Google Docs will tell you when the other
person is viewing the document. You can
collaborate LIVE within the document itself OR
you can chat off to the side.

MASTER– Secure Email

There are two settings on the GENERAL tab in your GMail settings
that will assist in a more secure email environment.

External Content – Ask before displaying photos
Browser Connection – Always use https


MASTER– Remote Sign-Out
In the lower right corner
of your INBOX, you can
view Last Account
Activity.

Click Details to see all
recent activity on your
GMail account and click
Sign out of all other
sessions to remotely
sign-out of email.


Thank You!
Thank you so much for
joining me today! I hope
that this webinar will get
you on your way to
becoming a GMail Ninja! For
the official Google Tip
www.gmail.com/tips
Sheet that this webinar was
patterned after, go here … stefanie@stefaniehahn.com
Stefanie A. Hahn


Become a GMail Ninja

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